IRVINE : Rescue Workers Deal With ‘Disaster’

Truck mechanic Chris Martin had the easiest role to play during a hazardous materials drill Tuesday at the headquarters of the Irvine Ranch Water District. He played dead.

Sprawled face down in the grass, Martin pretended to be a victim of a two-truck collision that triggered a mock fuel spill, sent an ominous-looking gas cloud over the city and touched off a series of emergency situations.

While firefighters in cumbersome hazardous materials suits prepared a rescue strategy, Martin lay still. After more than an hour, his limp body was rolled onto a stretcher and carried away. The rescuers threw a yellow tarp over him, indicating he was a fatality.

Martin then arose from the dead and went back to work.

The daylong disaster scenario was orchestrated by the Orange County Fire Department in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard, Irvine Police Department, Irvine Ranch Water District and the Red Cross to test response procedures. More than 200 observers from various agencies statewide monitored the response of about 50 emergency vehicles and hundreds of personnel.

The diesel fuel release, simulated by water sprinkled with floating popcorn, enabled Coast Guard personnel to trace the spill as it dumped into the nearby San Diego Creek. The chlorine gas cloud--simulated with dry ice--swirled over the neighboring community, forcing a simulated evacuation of residents.

“In all our operations, we have emphasized what was learned at the L.A. riots and other recent disasters like the Oakland fire,” said County Fire Capt. Dan Young. The drill, Young said, was designed to force law enforcement authorities to communicate and coordinate their resources as they had on the streets of Los Angeles.

The annual exercise is mandated by the state Office of Emergency Services. Tuesday’s exercise was the largest disaster drill in the state this year.

“This is not too far-fetched,” said Donald Rector, supervisor of safety education for the Los Angeles Unified School District, who observed and evaluated the action. “This is a good learning situation for these guys to know what to do and, more importantly, what not to do.”

Rector said he would use his observations to design a similar response drill for the school district.

“I think people have become more sensitive to disaster after the recent riots and the earthquake,” Rector said. “This is useful to teach us how to respond to small and large disasters.”